The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.
Teams of railroad workers invariably repair and maintain railroad tracks. Each team generally includes a team leader who coordinates the activities of the team members.
In practice, the team is often required to work proximal to a railroad track during times when trains are running. The team leader in radio communication with a command centre can verbally request that the command centre divert trains to other tracks to ensure team safety. However, the applicant is aware of instances where the command centre did not correctly act upon such a request, and a train has still been diverted along a track upon which the team is working which is extremely dangerous.
In addition, the team is often dispersed over an expansive area which makes it difficult for the team leader to keep visual track of the welfare of each team member. If a team member suffers a mishap, it may undesirably take some time for the team leader or other team members to detect the mishap and then provide necessary aid.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a personal alarm device for dealing with a mishap.